Congratulations to Herricks senior Esther Min for placing third at the New York State Science and Engineering Fair with her research paper entitled “Age-specific seroprotection after Hepatitis B virus vaccination among Korean American pediatric population in Queens, New York.”
Min’s research paper has been published in Human Vaccines & Immuotherapeutics, a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal covering research into vaccines and immunotherapeutics.
Why are certain demographics not immune to Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection? Min’s project sought to address this question by performing a retrospective chart review on the Korean American pediatric population in Queens, New York as this demographic and location was most impacted by the lack of anti-HBs-seroprotection.
She independently collected and analyzed the data which showed that the presence of anti-HBs positivity was affected by age and duration since routine vaccination as an infant (fewer 15–18-year-olds had immunity for HBV). Her research suggests the necessity of booster vaccinations for this age group, which will further promote awareness and protection of this population.
NYSSEF is the ISEF/Society for Science affiliated state fair for New York. The NYSSEF ISEF is the world’s preeminent international science project competition for students in grades 9-12. NYSSEF ISEF brings together students, teachers, scientific researchers, corporate executives, and government officials from around the world.